No details yet on possible academic calendar reform

The Committee on the Course of Study is likely to announce plans in December regarding the future of the academic calendar, USG academics chair Caitlin Sullivan '07 said.

"This year our main agenda item would be to look at the academic calendar," Sullivan said yesterday. "We will probably, say by early December, open discussion to another level and announce any results."

Sullivan declined to provide any information on possible alternatives to the calendar, saying the committee's discussions are preliminary and confidential.

"We don't have a specific agenda or goal in mind," Sullivan said.

The committee, which includes Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel, faculty, other administrations and four students, including Sullivan, began its discussions in November 2005 and is discussing all aspects of the calendar, from vacation periods to exam scheduling before the December break.

Last spring, the group sent a survey to students and faculty that asked, among other things, if they thought vacation times were being used for academic work and if Fall Break was at a good time.

It remains uncertain whether any changes will be recommended or what those changes would be.

Robert Wai Wong '06, the academics chair in the last USG administration, said last year that he believes it is high time for a review of the calendar.

"The reason we're doing this is because [15] years ago the Committee on the Course of Study had a similar yearlong discussion, and after that period decided the calendar that we had at the moment was appropriate," he told The Daily Princetonian last December.

"In past years, when parents or other folks asked, 'Why do we still do things this way?' the response has been, 'We [already] went through this very thorough, long discussion and concluded that this is the best thing for Princeton.' But it's tough to say that when it's been [15] years."

Sullivan said that though the committee is not operating under the aegis of the USG, she hopes student government will get increasingly involved once details of the group's discussions are made public.

"I'm sure once students are informed and the preliminary conclusions are reached, the USG will be involved," she said.

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"The best way to involve students is with the USG."

USG vice president Rob Biederman '08 agreed that student government is "not the driving force behind this at this time."

Though the results of the committee's survey of students and faculty have yet to be released, students expressed diverse views on the benefits and shortcomings of the current calendar.

"Winter break is a huge help for our independent work," Nic Byrd '08 said.

Students have also often wondered why the University's academic calendar is different from that of many other universities.

"Why do we go to school after all the other semester schools?" Dave Rose '08 asked.